The Thaw
by LastCorsair
Summary: Weiss misses her girlfriend. Freezerburn oneshot, highschool AU


I throw myself down on my bed with a groan. School _sucked_ today. I stifle a giggle at how that came out in my head. Father would most definitely not approve of me phrasing things in such a fashion, but I know who I have to thank for it.

No messages from her today, sadly. She's been home sick for days, and likely to still be out sick on Monday. Pneumonia _sucks_. A girlfriend with pneumonia sucks worse because the person I rely on most for emotional support is gone. I have other friends, but, they're not her.

I bite my lip. Would it be clingy to message her, asking how she's doing, letting her know I miss her? This is my first real 'relationship,' and I'm still finding out the rules. She tells me every relationship is different, but there must be some baseline rules, shouldn't there?

Asking how she's doing should be fine, I think. _How are you feeling? Any better?_ I send.

It's several minutes before a response comes back. _Better. Still feel like shit, but at least I'm not feeling like three-day roadkill._

 _I miss you. I wish I could see you,_ I send, fearing her reaction. She's such a free spirit, I don't want her to think I'm trying to box her in.

 _Aww, is Weiss-cream missing me?_ She sends back, with a wink emoji behind it. Then: _I miss you too, babe. Skype? I think it'll do us both some good._

That sounds wonderful. I jump over to my laptop and open the screen. _I"m ready when you are,_ I send.

The call connects, and her face fills the screen. Yang opens her mouth, only to be overcome with coughing before she can say anything. "Hey, babe. It's not as bad as it looks, honest."

I touch my finger to my lips and then the screen. "It's fine. I just miss seeing you. It's been a rough week. Cardin cornered me today. He just won't accept that I'm not interested in such a 'stunning example of manhood,' in his words," I reply, making air quotes with my fingers. Another habit I've picked up from her.

"Yeah, he's obnoxious. He even hits on me and I shoved him in a locker twice freshman year." Another coughing fit. "And a trashcan, too."

"Yang, what are you doing out of bed? Who are you talking to?" I can hear Yang's dad in the hallway outside her room.

"Relax, Dad, it's Weiss," she yells back without thinking, wheezing afterward.

Tai sticks his head in the door. "Okay, but keep it short. Sounds like you still really need your rest. Weiss, I'm holding you to that too. Or video chat privileges will be revoked."

"Your father is remarkably okay with us, being together I mean," I sigh after he leaves.

"Meh. It's probably since he knew you before there was an us." Yang and I had been an oddly matched pair of friends since practically the first day of high school.

"He was less than pleased that I helped you raise funds for that deathtrap you ride around on, however."

"Bumblebee is not a deathtrap! 'A motorcycle is a perfectly safe mode of transportation, provided you wear proper safety gear and ride responsibly,'" she replies with a grin, quoting my own words from the argument with her father about her beloved motorcycle.

I match her grin with a smile of my own. I'd given her money for her motorcycle fund as a one-year anniversary present. Little did I know that she'd already raised the money; what I gave her let her purchase a better motorcycle than the one she had settled on. "I wish my father would be as accepting," I say, my face falling.

Yang reaches out to touch the screen. "Hey, don't worry about it, babe. We've got this. I love you, you know that, and that's what matters most."

I'm sure I must be blushing as I nod back. Yang is so openly affectionate with everyone, I know it must be killing her to keep our relationship discrete. But I can't risk my father finding out. He will be absolutely furious, and right now I don't want to risk his anger. I know Yang's family would take me in if necessary, but I don't want to be a burden on me. Life has been hard enough on them. I start to speak again, but my phone buzzes with a message from my brother. _Winter is here._ "My sister is here, Yang. I have to go. I love you."

"Love ya too, babe. Hope to see you in the flesh soon." We end the call with our usual parting, touching our lips and then the screen, as if electrons could carry our feelings to each other.

* * *

Winter is looking out the window at the garden as I step into the garden, her uniform immaculate as always. "Weiss, it's good to see you again. How are you doing? How is school going?"

Whitley interjects from behind me before I can reply. "She's got a girlfriend now."

I whirl around, furious. Our younger brother is there, leaning on the doorframe, a smug smirk on his face. "Whitley, you absolute little shit!" I yell, pulling my fist back to punch him.

It's our father's voice that stops me. "I'm disappointed in you, Whitley. Regardless of whether your sister has a...girlfriend or not, revealing it in this fashion is either an act of spite or some misguided attempt to curry favor with me. Neither of which I appreciate." The smirk on Whitley's face vanishes in an instant as I turn to look at my father in shock. "Now, I will ask you this, Weiss: Is what Whitley said true? Do you have a girlfriend?" His voice is firm and level, without any hint of how he feels about the matter.

"Yes." I do my best to keep fear and uncertainty out of my voice, but I know I fail.

"I'm not sure how to phrase this properly, but...is this serious? How long has this been going on?"

"Two years." Bitterness creeps into my voice, and I look down at the floor, balling up my fists as I fight to hold back the tears. "Two _years_ we've been together, and I hate hiding it every day. I want the world to know how I feel, and I can't say a word. And do you want to know why?" Anger replaces the bitterness and I turn to face my father, seething. Because of you, _Father_. Because I knew that if you found out about her, you'd be furious. Because when you look at me, all you see is a songbird in a cage, a pawn in your games of wealth and power, a bargaining chip to be bartered off at the best opportunity. That's why Cardin Winchester keeps pestering me. He knows exactly how rich and powerful his family is, and he's sure that as soon as the deal's good enough, you'll marry me off to him. And for that, I hate him, and you, and all of _this_ ," I finish, taking in him, my brother and sister, the whole room, with a sweeping gesture.

I stand there panting, as silence echoes in the wake of my tirade, the only sound the ticking of the clock. Father's face grows grim. "Cardin Winchester has been 'pestering' you, to use your own word?"

"Yes. He acts as if we're already dating, telling me we're going out instead of asking, that sort of thing. I evade it at school mostly by staying close to Yang and my other friends."

"I see." My father sits, still and silent as a stone, his chin resting on his hands. "Cardin was one of the young men that I had considered a suitable suitor for you, and I will admit to badly misreading how things stood between the two of you. He's shown up here several times looking for you when you weren't present; I assumed you were merely playing hard to get. If he shows up again I will make it quite clear he's not welcome here anymore."

I blink in shock; Father taking my part over Cardin's in this? It was beyond belief, or so I thought until he continued. "Now about this young lady of yours...tell me about her. What's her name, how does she do in school, what's her family like, that sort of thing."

"Y-Yang, her name is Yang, and she's not at the top of our class, but she is a solid 'A' student. She is also on the martial arts team," I reply cautiously. What exactly is my father after here?

"On the team, not team captain?"

"Her younger sister is the martial arts team captain this year. Quite a feat for a sophomore."

"Yang..." Winter interrupts now. "Wasn't she the ringleader of the escapade that got you suspended last year?"

I shoot my sister a look. _Not helping, Winter._ "It was a team effort, and in the cause of justice."

"Refresh my memory, Weiss." Father's voice grows stern. "If this girl is trouble..."

"Our actions were completely justified," I reply, sighing. "Cinder Fall blatantly cheated to win the title of homecoming queen. Honestly, she transferred in a month before the end of sophomore year, how did she expect anyone to believe she'd be elected homecoming queen junior year? Something didn't seem right, so we took it upon ourselves to investigate. We uncovered her deception and got suspended for broadcasting the evidence over the school PA system. And Cinder got suspended for a whole semester, far longer than we did. She won't even be in our graduating class."

"I see. Other than that, she stays out of trouble?"

"She has served detention from time to time, mostly for defending other students from bullies." _And chasing off would-be suitors of mine, especially after we started dating,_ I add to myself.

"What about her family? Parents, brothers, sisters, and so on?"

"Yang's father is a sergeant with the police force. She has one sister, Ruby." I pause, thinking. The next part needs careful phrasing. "Yang doesn't talk about her birth mother. Ruby and Yang were raised by Ruby's mother until her passing several years ago."

"I see. And you say she does well in school? How does her father afford Beacon Academy for two girls on a police sergeant's salary?"

"Yang and Ruby are both attending on scholarships." I leave out the fact that I helped write Ruby's application letter; what my father does not know will not hurt him.

"Sounds like she's just using you for your money, sister," Whitley sneers, finding his voice at last.

I laugh. "Don't confuse Yang with the sort of girl _you've_ been associating with, Whitley. She doesn't ask for gifts, and usually refuses the ones I offer her." One corner of my mouth turns up in a wistful smile as I remember my and Yang's first official date. I'd taken Yang somewhere fancy, and she slipped the waiter twenty bucks to make sure she got the check. "I'm not after your money, Weiss, I want _you_ ," she'd whispered to me as I sat there in stunned silence. "Yang even has a part-time job."

"It sounds like this Yang of yours is very busy. A sports teams and a part-time job. When does she find time for you?" Winter's eyes narrow, her gaze pinning me in place like an insect on display.

"We find time when we can. It's not as if my own schedule isn't busy." I sigh softly. In truth, my schedule is more often the problem than Yang's. The social obligations my father imposes on me are rather stressful. Sometimes it's the best we can do to share a lunch together under one of the trees at Beacon. True, Ruby and Blake are usually there with us, so we're not _alone,_ but it's enough. Most of the time.

"Well," my father says, and I jerk back to the present, "I think we can lighten that schedule for you, Weiss. Make it easier for you and Yang to spend time together."

"Father, you can't be serious!" Whitley's voice is agitated, angry. "I can't believe you're going to encourage this!"

"It's not a matter of 'encouraging' this, Whitley. More a matter of acceptance." Father's expression softens as he turns from Whitley to Winter. "Winter wasn't much older than you are now when she told me she wanted to join the military. She stood right here in this room and told me that if I didn't sign the paperwork for her to enroll at the military school she wanted, she'd walk into the recruiter's office on her eighteenth birthday and enlist as a common soldier, taking whatever job would let her leave fastest. I objected, she persisted, and eventually, I relented." Father rises from his chair, resting a hand on my shoulder, and I raise my eyes to meet his, trembling. "There comes a time when every parent must realize that their child isn't quite a child anymore. I won't pretend I completely approve of your choice, Weiss, but I will accept it. Bring Yang by sometime for dinner, this weekend perhaps?"

"That may be difficult. She's recovering from pneumonia. I haven't talked to her except on Skype in days." A realization blossoms in my mind, and I turn on Whitley again. "You little shit! You were eavesdropping on me talking to her today!"

Father laughs, a more genuine laugh than the polite party laughs that are all I've heard from him in years. "Don't worry, Weiss. I think your brother will have plenty of time to think about what he's done, considering he's grounded for the next two weeks."

"Father!"

I stifle a giggle. I shouldn't be so amused at Whitley's punishment, but I can't help myself.

* * *

The ebb and flow of Beacon Academy surround me, the background hum of countless conversations filling my ears. I navigate the crowd with a practiced grace, stepping around those stopped in conversation without a thought.

A barrier interposes itself, moving to block my path even as I try to step around it. "You blew me off this again this weekend, Schnee." Cardin Winchester stands before me, his arms crossed, two of his cronies behind him. "I thought we talked about this."

"We did. _You_ obviously weren't listening. I told you last week, and the week before that, and countless times before, I wasn't interested in going out with you." I move past him, but he grabs my arm.

"Listen, you little bitch," he hisses in my ear, "you're mine. Nobody here is rich enough to outbid me for you, nobody. So you do what I say, got it?"

"No, I think you don't get it." My legs tremble with relief at the voice behind me, a welcome ally. "She said piss off, Cardin. Now let go and get gone, or I get to stuff you in a locker. Again." Ruby steps up next to me, glaring at Cardin, her stance open, but challenging.

"Listen, runt, I don't take orders from a jumped-up little brat like you!"

Ruby doesn't say a word, dropping into a ready stance. Cardin's cronies have a little more sense than he does and take a step back. They know exactly who Ruby is; Cardin's too arrogant to care. Before either of them can throw a punch, a waspish voice comes from behind Cardin. "Mister Cardin, do you know who that is?"

"No, and I don't care. This isn't her business!"

"But it is mine. That is Ruby Rose, captain of our martial arts team, and holder of—forgive me, Miss Rose, I can't remember if it's two or three—black belts in different martial arts. And if Miss Schnee wants to be on her way, you'd be advised to let her go. Now." Vice Principal Goodwitch stands there, smacking her riding crop into the palm of her left hand, again and again.

Cardin steps out of the way, raising his hands. "Next time you're mine," he mutters under his breath. Little does he know...

"Is she here?" I whisper to Ruby as soon as we're far enough from Cardin.

Ruby nods. "Weak as a kitten, but she's here." I smile and give her a wink, gesturing for her to follow me. I probably should warn her about what's going on, but I don't want to give the game away just yet.

Yang's standing at her locker, trading out the books in her bag for the ones she needs for her first class. I know she's mostly recovered, but it still twists a knife in my heart to see her like this. My sunny little dragon looks bedraggled and worn, only fitting considering the battlefield her body has been of late. I start to smile at the sight of her but force myself back down into a stern expression.

"Yang Xiao Long," I say, drawing it out as I approach, "do you know how long it's been since I saw you?"

She turns, giving me a weak smile. "Hey, Weiss, how's it going? Yeah, I was out for a couple of weeks. Pneumonia, not a fun."

"That's right." I slap my hand on the locker door next to her, looking her square in the face. "And there's something I've been waiting to do since before you left."

I kiss her. Not some ridiculously overblown movie kiss, not a light brushing of the lips, but a kiss with definite intentions, to quote one of Blake's horribly overwrought novels. Yang pulls back at first in surprise but then leans into it as I cup the back of her head in my hand, digging my fingers into her glorious golden mane, filling my nostrils with the scent of her.

I pull back, her lilac eyes meeting my own pale blue, and she tilts her head just so in a puzzled expression. "Weiss-" she begins, but I lay a finger on her lips, silencing her.

"Father knows. Whitley outed me on Friday, trying to be a little snot. It backfired; Whitley's grounded and Father likes what I've told him about you," I whisper, just loud enough for her to hear.

She blushes, and it's the most endearing thing in the world. How can someone so Amazonian in stature be so cute and bashful? "Sooo...no more hiding? Yang asks timidly, as if voicing the question might ruin the miracle.

"No more hiding," I say, stepping up for another kiss. At that point, as they say, the crowd went wild.

A gentle cough catches our attention and we separate again, to see Goodwitch standing there. "Well, I see some congratulations are in order. I will remind you that there are school rules about public displays of affection, and you are making a spectacle of yourselves."

"Y-Yeah," Yang stammers, holding out an arm to me. "Wanna walk me to class?"

"I would be delighted," I respond, threading my arm through hers.

"Shoulda figured you for a dyke, Schnee! You're not gonna like what happens when I tell my dad!" I don't even have to look to know it's Cardin Winchester. I toss an obscene gesture over my shoulder as Yang and I start down the hall, arm in arm.

I lean into Yang, enjoying her warmth, the closeness of her. I'm not nearly so foolish as to think life together will be some sort of ridiculous fairy tale, but we will face its challenges together.


End file.
